Shadow Critters is an interactive installation developed for Whaaat Festival at ATLAS Institute - a celebration of alternative arcade games and installations.
In support of the festival’s summer camp theme, participants cast shadow puppets on the outside of a tent using a flashlight (a summer camp classic!). Each puppet is recorded, animated, and set loose as a creature joining an ecosystem of shadow critters exploring the tent walls.
Tech Overview
Built in TouchDesigner. Input came from a flashlight and a webcam; output through two projectors.
Shadow Capture
- A participant casts a shadow puppet onto the tent wall using a flashlight
- A webcam captures the shadow. Once the silhouette crosses a threshold area, the app records the puppet and saves it as a short video
- A projected UI mirrors the user’s shadow live, and indicates when it’s being recorded
Creatures
- Each creature is a rectangle SOP textured with a looping shadow clip, with simple movement behavior driven by a Python script
- When a new video lands in the pool, a Replicator COMP spawns a new creature
- The shadow animation’s playback speed is tied to the creature’s movement velocity, creating the illusion of a walking animation
The installation was very well received: once festival-goers saw someone else making a shadow puppet, the interaction loop was clear and satisfying, and they were excited to try it themselves.
